This book is delightful from the very first page: “Josey Johnson’s hair is a wonderful adventure — it’s different all the time!”

What is Josey Johnson’s Hair and the Holy Spirit About?

The story follows Josey as she goes, with her father, to get her hair braided and buy a new dress for Pentecost. Along the way, they have a conversation about how Josey feels different from many of her friends because their hair is straight. They talk about how God makes us all different because He’s a creative God. The book wraps up with a brief explanation of Pentecost as they attend their Pentecost church service.

Why I Like the Book

I’m always on the lookout for books that expand the diversity of representation in my kids’ stories (and in my own, but that’s not relevant here) without getting into any weird liberal theology, promoting neo-Marxism, making “race” the main thing, etc. So I love the way this allows the reader to walk through some of the realities of caring for Black hair, while doing it in a manner that feels very natural. We’re just stepping into Josey’s everyday life as it is.

When Josey muses about feeling different, her dad’s answer is soundly biblical and rooted in true diversity, with no undertones of superiority, inferiority, entitlement, or shame.

Other subtle elements I appreciated: Josey has three siblings — something of a rarity in modern children’s literature — and a strong relationship with her dad.

What About Pentecost?

Some readers are probably going to wonder about the discussion of Pentecost and if there’s church tradition displayed here that they would be uncomfortable with. The idea of a church explicitly “celebrating” Pentecost was new to me, as was the red-dress tradition. (At least I get the impression it’s a tradition.) But apart from their acknowledgement that they wear red in honor of Pentecost, the explanation sticks to a short summary of the biblical events of Acts 2. (There’s no mention of ongoing gifts of the Spirit, for or against; the father brings the conversation back around to salvation being for people of every color and culture.)

There is one illustration in this section, where you see something akin to a thought bubble as the dad is telling Josey about what happened on the Day of Pentecost, where there is a depiction of a dove and flames of fire. Those who have very conservative view of the Second Commandment might take issue with this illustration.

Was There Anything I Disliked About Josey Johnson’s Hair and the Holy Spirit?

If I have any issues with this book, it would be one teeny-tiny — miniscule, honestly — quibble. “At Josey’s school, most of the girls have straight hair.” This is the opening to the discussion about Josey being different. In some sense, I’m sure “curly hair” is really a stand-in for skin color. (It operates as a “synecdoche.”) But, although Black hair may be a minority in a given area, truly straight  hair is actually the minority throughout the world.

Like I said, this is a super-piddly minor thing, and definitely not anything I would skip the book over! But I think it’s worth pointing out, because curly girls of all ethnicities can encounter difficulties of various kinds related to their hair.

Summing Up

I love this one. Josey Johnson’s Hair and the Holy Spirit is an enjoyable read, with multiple layers of value to contribute to your kids and their home library.